Congratulations on your engagement! Whether you’re days, months, or years into it, that blissful “yes” moment never was off. As you’re soaking it all up, we’re sure your mind has, on occasion, drifted off to that dreamy walk down the aisle, but before we can make that a reality, we have to get through the heavy lifting- your wedding planning. Wedding planning is admittedly hectic; between the tough decision-making and precise organization, there are a gazillion things to do and a constricted timeframe to go with it for most couples. While this may not seem like much to some, the lack of clarity and strategy when checking some of those details off your wedding planner can chew well into your time and pockets if you’re not careful.
Six essential wedding aspects to book early
The clock starts ticking on you when your partner pops that big question. The pressure is on, and you’re overwhelmed to get those wedding planning wheels rolling. Unfortunately, not many have the skills and experience necessary to plan a wedding from scratch, don’t fret, though, because we’ve got you. Ahead, we cover six critical aspects to book early for your big day to get you on track with your planning.
Venue
Wedding venues are central; it’s where you get to say your I-Dos in front of your closest friends and family; for this reason, the facet isn’t one to gamble with. Once you’ve pinned down your wedding budget, theme and style, it’s strongly recommended that you dive straight into scouting that perfect venue. Go for something that cohesively aligns with your chosen color palette, guest capacity, and seating plan. Make a double take on the venue’s features, facilities, and package offers before signing any contracts. If the factors mentioned above match your expectations, read through the contract and close on it, hesitation in such a stage will only make you lose the venue to other couples in the market.
You can learn more here about venues, or do some research online and compare different options before making a decision. Keep in mind that popular venues tend to get booked quickly, so it’s best to start looking and booking early.
Pro tip: Consider booking your wedding venue off-season for great discounts.
Catering
Wedding catering goes two ways; off-site and on-site. On-site catering typically implies that the wedding venue has a commercial kitchen on standby; meals and drinks could therefore be a part of the venue package. Conversely, off-site catering refers to external catering services that the bride and groom could hire off the premises. Whichever route one opts to settle for, catering will be one of the things to sort out earlier in the planning process. Doing so gives you and your caterer ample time to work out what’s needed for the menu selection. Again, this leaves wiggle room for adjustments down the road.
Pro tip: Ensure you precisely communicate your needs to the catering team in full disclosure while remaining equally flexible.
Accommodations
A frequently overlooked yet critical aspect of wedding planning is accommodation. The soon-to-be husband and wife ideally need to reflect on how they would accommodate their guests, moreso for a destination wedding. In any case, accommodation arrangements could be handy for the wedding party and style teams. Often, it is advisable to keep these individuals closer to you or the venue to avoid any transportation and time constraints. Similarly, couples with wedding guests coming in from distant locations are urged to book a short stay for their guests as a common courtesy; this is, however, not a must.
Photographers and videographers
While some might argue differently, we maintain that photography and videography services are necessary for your nuptials. Trust me; when it’s all said and done, those beautiful frozen images are what’ll stay with you long after your guests take their leave- a treasure we believe every couple deserves to have. To bag the right person for this role, we suggest beginning your search six months before the big day, a step that’d be followed by a quote, service package, a contract, concepts, and sample shots from the photographer. Alternatively, you can visit their website for a consultation and pricelist
Transportation
How will you be getting around on your wedding day? Transport is a crucial factor to chew over, especially for couples conducting their ceremony and reception at different venues. You’ll need to work out how you’ll be traveling from your home to the registrar’s office, the cathedral to the reception, and perhaps the reception to your hotel. You might also have to make transport arrangements for some of your wedding attendants, say the officiant, parents, wedding party, hair stylist, and makeup artist. On some rare occasions, the marrying couple would have to foot the transportation expense of some of their vendors. However, this isn’t necessarily a sine qua non as most have transportation expenses covered in their package fee, but it’s always a good idea to inquire beforehand.
Wedding planner
Finally, if you’re looking to skip the wedding planning hassle, you should consider hiring a wedding planner. These professionals are trained to orchestrate every aspect of a wedding, from design to planning and management. What the wedding planner essentially does for the couple is use their knowledge and expertise in the field to budget, track vendors, negotiate, advise and brainstorm ideas with them. The wedding planner will also tackle tricky situations as they arise on your big day, so you don’t have to worry about putting out any fires while standing at the altar. Of course, all this comes at a cost, but the juice is worth the squeeze.
Conclusion
Weddings are monumental; they signify a lifelong commitment between two people, the beginning of a new chapter with their chosen partners. Naturally, most couples want such defining moments to be perfect; after all, they only get one shot at it. If that’s where you’re at, these pointers should serve as an excellent help to your wedding planning woes. Of course, there’s still a lot more to cover; however, with these six tips at your fingertips, you’ve got half the job done, inching you closer to that merry walk down the aisle. Our advice? Don’t sweat yourself; you’ve already gotten through the hard part- finding your person in a world of seven billion people; planning a wedding should be no match. Take your time, breathe in and out. You’ve got this!
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